Newport-Mesa's fruits and vegetables program losing funds

May 8, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Sonora Elementary students enjoy samples of fruits and vegetables from the school's monthly produce bar to go along with their more traditional school lunches as they sit together at a lunch table. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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From left, Tanya Fuqua and Mark Cleveland of Avanti Cafe with fruits and vegetables. PHOTO COURTESY OF AVANTI CAFE

From left, Leanne Jimeniz, Mia Verdin, Alexandra Torres and classmate Jeylin Avonce-Cruz. The children were given strawberries at College Park Elementary in Costa Mesa. The school has a weekly running club where the children, volunteers, and parents run laps on the school field during lunchtime. They are also given healthy snacks. It is one of the ways the Newport Mesa Unified School District is working to incorporate healthy foods and excercise into daily student life. KAREN TAPIA, FOR THE REGISTER

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Emily Enriquez is given a strawberry during lunchtime at College Park Elementary in Costa Mesa. KAREN TAPIA, FOR THE REGISTER

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Children at College Park Elementary in Costa Mesa, wait in line to get strawberries which is part of the healthy snacks the school wants to incorporate. The school has a weekly running club where the children, volunteers, and parents run laps on the school field during lunch time and are given healthy snacks. KAREN TAPIA, FOR THE REGISTER

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Sonora Elementary students line up to sample various fruits and vegetables at the monthly produce bar in the cafeteria at their Costa Mesa school. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Airamy Alvarado, a 5th grader at Costa Mesa's Sonora Elementary School, sits at the lunch tables as she takes a bite into a strawberry she got from the school monthly produce bar. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Parents volunteer Tim Taber, who has three kids who attend Sonora Elementary School in Costa Mesa, looks on while students line up to sample fruits and vegetables from a monthly produce bar at the school. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Sonora Elementary fourth grader Matthew Villavicencto-Muniz makes his way down the line of a produce bar in the school's cafeteria in April. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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In an attempt to widen students' palates, jicama covered with lime juice and chili pepper powder joined the more traditional strawberries, pineapple and celery at the school's produce bar in April. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Parents volunteer Tim Taber, who has three kids who attend Sonora Elementary School in Costa Mesa, looks on while students line up to sample fruits and vegetables from a monthly produce bar at the school. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Angel Martinez, 11, a sixth grader at Sonora Elementary School, "thought that blueberries were spicy," before he learned otherwise at the school's monthly produce bar. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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Sonora Elementary students enjoy samples of fruits and vegetables from the school's monthly produce bar to go along with their more traditional school lunches. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

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A monthly produce bar, featuring a variety of common and exotic fruits and vegetables, sits in the cafeteria at Costa Mesa's Sonora Elementary School. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

Sonora Elementary students enjoy samples of fruits and vegetables from the school's monthly produce bar to go along with their more traditional school lunches as they sit together at a lunch table.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

By the Numbers Fun Facts

10,250 - Cartons of milk served each day in Newport Mesa Unified. That works out to nearly 658 gallons!

5,000 - Number of breakfasts served every day

10,000 - Number of lunches served daily

1,600 - Pounds of fresh fruit daily

Tips on getting your kids to eat healthier

1. Make to time join your child for lunch in the school cafeteria.

2. When your child gets home from school, ask what he/she ate for lunch.

3. Eat meals with your child as much as you can. Let your child see you eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at meals and snacks.

4. Grocery shopping can teach your children about healthy eating. Talk to them about where vegetables, fruits and grains, and milk and meat come from. Let your children make healthy choices.

5. Try new foods yourself. Describe how they smell, feel and taste. Offer one new food at a time. Serve something your child likes with the new food.

* From the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Graphics

Since 2002, "Mr. I" has been a staple on school campuses, handing out celery sticks, passing out strawberries and setting up fresh produce bars.

As operations manager for the district's nutrition services, Ianniello has brought thousands of pounds of free produce to more than a dozen Costa Mesa schools that qualify for a federal grant through the Network for a Healthy California campaign.

But this fall, students may be seeing less of Ianniello and fewer free fruits and veggies due to a loss in federal grant money.

Network for a Healthy California provides funding for school districts and other agencies to fight obesity and improve the lives of low-income families through physical activity and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The program is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, but after this school year, funding will no longer go directly to school districts and will instead be distributed through county health departments. Ianniello said the shift in funding is meant to better target low-income families, but the changes will likely mean a loss of programs in many schools.

Under the program, Newport-Mesa Unified receives $428,000 annually to fund its many healthy eating campaigns in Costa Mesa schools. The school district will no longer see that money, Ianniello said.

"It's sad because we may not see some of the Network (for a Healthy California) funded programs next school year, I won't be Mr. I the fruit and vegetable guy anymore," he said.

For next school year, the district plans to apply for new funding through the Orange County Department of Health, but the bid is competitive and the money would likely be much less than in previous years, Ianniello said.

Newport-Mesa could also decide to use its own funds to keep some of the programs, but as with many school districts, money is tight, he said.

One of the district programs funded through Network for a Healthy California is a monthly school produce bar meant to encourage children to try new fruits and vegetables.

At the produce bar at Sonora Elementary in Costa Mesa last month, 11-year-old Angel Martinez didn't know what to expect when he tried a blueberry.

"I never tried blueberries before, I thought they were spicy," said the sixth-grader. "Actually, they're pretty good."

Principal Christine Anderson said the produce bar benefits schools such as Senora, where many students come from low-income families who can't afford pricier produce, like blueberries.

"It gives them a chance to taste new foods and have a variety of fruits and vegetables in their diet," she said.

Other Network-funded program that could be cut include free healthy cooking classes for students and parents, field trips to farmers markets, veggie tastings in schools and parent education classes.

The push for healthy eating comes at a time when more than one third of children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight or obese. The problem is compounded in low-income families. In Orange County, more than half of fifth-graders from low-income families are overweight or obese, compared with 29 percent of fifth-graders from higher income families, according to the Orange County Department of Education.

Ianniello said Newport-Mesa has many efforts to improve student and health nutrition. Each school, he said, has a wellness policy, and many of the school lunches exceed federal nutrition standards.

With federal and state funding scarce, many schools have taken healthy matters into their own hands. Some schools in the district have salad bars purchased by parent-teacher associations, Ianniello said, while others have started running clubs and other healthy activities.

At College Park Elementary in Costa Mesa, students run laps during lunchtime each Wednesday as part of a running club. They run the equivalent of a mile around the soccer field and get a healthy snack after each lap.

The effort has taken off since it was started by third-grade teacher Julie Smith six years ago. Smith said she started the running club after noticing that her students weren't getting enough exercise. To add to the fun, classrooms with students who run the most laps get a trophy each month, she said.

"The kids love it and the classrooms get really competitive," Smith said. "We try to make exercise part of their lifestyle. Our hope is that it's something that carries into the rest of their lives."

Principal Julie McCormick said parents also regularly participate in the running club.

"We've had parents come back and tell us they're now exercising at home and losing weight and eating healthier," she said. "It's really changed the whole culture of the school."

kpuente@ocregister.com

PUTTING CHEFS TO THE TEST

School districts must follow federal nutrition guidelines that require a certain amount of grains, protein, fruits and vegetable with meals. A school district typically must prepare each meal for under $3 to stay in balance with federal funding. How would you design a school meal using federal guidelines? We provided local chefs with the basic federal nutrition guidelines for an elementary school lunch and asked them to create their own culinary delight.

THE CHALLENGE

Create an elementary school lunch for under $3 with a minimum of:

1/2 cup fruit

3/4 cup vegetable

1 oz grains

1 oz meat or meat alternative

1 cup milk

Benjamin McLouth, owner of Chef on Demand catering company

1724 Antigua Way, Newport Beach

949-274-2828

McLouth, aka Chef Ben, is a New York native with more than 15 years of experience in the food industry.

Baked chicken with vegetables and cream sauce

"Chicken with orange cream sauce served with orange, cherry couscous and roasted vegetables.

I would use either chicken breast or un-breaded tenders. The milk as well as a cup of fruit juice is in the sauce, there is juice and dried fruit within the couscous and that also is your grain. And the roasted veggies include carrot, zucchini and squash."

Marc Cleveland and Tanya Fuqua, co-owners of Avanti Natural Café

259 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa

949-548-2224

Founded in Costa Mesa in 2005, Avanti offers healthy vegetarian and vegan dishes made from fresh, local ingredients.

Vegetable mac & cheese with fresh fruit skewers

"The vegetable mac and cheese sauce will consist of boiled and purred carrots and cauliflower for the vegetable, white beans for the meat alternative, and milk and cheddar cheese. It will be served over whole wheat penne pasta for the grains. Along side there will be a fruit skewer of grapes and bananas tossed in orange juice."

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